Finding the Children of Poseidon
by GabiiBearr
Summary: Previously "The Children of Poseidon". Rewritten and continued. Second in the Children of the gods, Lost Generation series. Please read Saving the Son of Death (Rewritten version) first or most of it won't make sense. Cover represents Tyler Wright. Summary inside.
1. I

I don't own PJO, only my OCs.

Summary: Maliah hates Tyler, and she has her own quest to save two children that she feels this strong connection to. She's all too eager for the excuse to leave the son of the sea alone and get to work, even after his sister goes missing. But when Tyler disappears, too, she really needs to reevaluate her emotions and put her hatred to the side before it's too late. Can she put her feelings to the side to save the boy she used to know or will it be too late?

* * *

The Ghost of a Girl 

**TYLER**

It was November now. I remember leaving camp the night of the summer solstice like it was yesterday. I still thought about the adventure I'd gone on to save my now friend's life. I remember the battles I'd faced to succeed, much like the ones I endeared now. I started to wonder if I would ever go a minute without having to rescue someone.

The dreams I had of my older brother, Percy Jackson, told me no. I still had to find him and his friends before it was too late, before this war that Maliah leads starts.

Maliah.

I think about the strong, powerful daughter of Zeus I'd left behind. I didn't let myself think about her a lot anymore these days. Sometimes the thoughts overwhelmed me so much, I lost control. I remember I flooded out an aquarium last month after thinking about how much she hated being on the ocean.

I was screwed, I knew that, but it wouldn't have been as bad if I didn't walk away from her without a proper goodbye just minutes after she kissed me. I was sure she was angry at me, but I felt like I could fix it when I finally found my sister and was able to make things right.

I had been travelling a lot during the weekends, trying my best to find my sister and balance school. Let me tell you, I was not doing a great job at all. I was always tired, hurt, moody. The only person who kept me sort of sane was my mom. She was there reminding me that I was doing a great job and that if anyone could pull it off, it was me. That's just who she was, though. She wouldn't let me sink in my own negative thoughts.

The twins hadn't returned to school for this term, so I hadn't seen them since I left, either. I didn't know why. I guess they'd just decided to stay at camp and train. Knowing everything we were coming up against, I couldn't say I blamed them. I sigh, placing my hands in my hair. It was shorter now, not as long as it was this past summer. I'd also grown a few inches, and my birthday had passed in September. I even felt different now, I felt older than I was. I guess it was all of my responsibilities weighing down on me.

Today was Saturday so I was able to spend all day looking for my sister. I had used River, my stubborn Pegasus and the only living thing allowed to leave camp with me, to travel throughout New York, looking for my sister. I was close to camp now, and knowing that made my heart fall into my stomach. I could go say hey, I could check in. But would they hate me any less? No, I had to focus and end it all as soon as possible. That was the only way.

I'm snapped out my thoughts when I notice a giant, his fist swinging down and barely avoiding the body of a young girl with light reddish-blonde hair. Maliah? I think, but no, she couldn't be here. She was busy training. This had to be a coincidence. She was a little taller and her hair was shorter than Maliah's had been, only to the middle of her back. I couldn't see her face, either, but I just knew it couldn't be her. I ran to the monster, calling out, "Hey, look out!"

The girl dodged the monster. I unleash _Dynami_, my sword made of Stygian Iron, and cleanly slice through the monster. The golden dust settles around me, and I turn to say something to the girl but she was gone. I allow my sword to go back into necklace form and I'm still thinking of the girl. It couldn't have been her, right? But what if it was? What if Maliah was here and I just lost her again? I begin to run after her but I hear the flutter of wings and hooves hitting the pavement.

River.

"_You okay, Ty? You don't look so good. You look like you've seen a ghost,_" he says.

"Yeah, River. I just thought I saw her. I thought I saw Maliah. It brought up bad memories, but I'm okay. I'm sure it was just my imagination." I respond.

It had to be. She wouldn't have run away from me like that, would she?

River huffs next to me. Since I'd left camp, River had become my best, and I'm sure only, friend. He was there for me through every new experience I'd had so far. He watched me fall apart about Maliah, worry myself to death over Sophia, and just feel so weighed down and guilty about leaving the rest of my friends behind. He had experienced my breaking points with me, watching me fall apart. He also watched me put myself back together. In the beginning, he hated me. I think it was because there was a lack of respect on both of our ends, but he had loved Maliah from the start. She was even the one who named him. Now he didn't love me as much as he did her, but we definitely got along a lot better now.

"_Hey, I think we have company,_" he says.

I sigh. I really couldn't catch a break, "Not again."

As I turn around, I catch the blue eyes of a blonde girl. She's tall, almost as tall as me, and tanned. Her mouth was gaping open and she wore a mask of confusion. She looked at the winged horse next to me, her eyes widening in shock.

"What _is_ that thing? What was the thing you just killed that was attacking that girl? Who are you? Oh my God, am I going insane?" she asks, all in one breath.

I don't respond at first, not understanding how she could have seen through everything, seeing through the mist that shielded mortal eyes. As I contemplate the possibility of her being a demigod, she stares at me expectantly. She wanted her answers.

"I'm Tyler Wright. This is my Pegasus, a winged horse, River. He's very sensitive so please don't call him a horse or a thing," I say, earning a huff of agreement from River, "and I just killed a giant. You are?"

"River?" she says, looking at him with wide eyes, "River the winged horse, er, Pegasus?"

He nods, but I don't miss his eye roll, "Yeah. River the Pegasus. Uh, I should really take you to my camp. Just so they can meet you and evaluate you. You shouldn't be out here alone if you can see these things. That means they'll come for you."

"They? What they?" she asks.

"They as in things like the giant I just killed and much, much worse."

"There's worse?"

She looks at me, almost pleading with me to tell her that there's nothing worse out there than what she'd just seen, but I can't lie to her. I just nod my head and offer her my hand, "We really should get going."

I mount River and hold out my hand to the scared girl. She's no older than I am and her entire world was changing in front of her. I remember how scared I had been last year, but I was just praying that her first year in the life of a demigod went a lot smoother than mine. With a lot less violence, too. I hoped she'd just end up one of those demigods that never had to leave camp, and maybe just maybe she'd somehow sneak her way out of the war.

Something told me that was wishful thinking.

"I'm Alison Wilson, by the way," she says, finally.

She looked from my hand to River and took a deep breath. She grabbed my hand and I helped pull her up. Once she was settled, she wrapped her arms around me and I'm pretty sure she held her breath as we ascended into the sky. She was terrified, I could tell. Even I had been frightened the first time I rode River.

"_Should I do a flip?_" River asks.

I ignore him.

**MALIAH**

That was him. It was Tyler. Something inside me wanted to be happy that I'd seen him, but it was the smallest part of me. The rest of me was still angry. I remember what it felt like when I kissed him the night of the summer solstice. I had wanted to kiss him since the night we talked at the hotel, when it was just us at the pool. I worked up all of my courage to put myself out there, and he reciprocated it. He felt the same. Then he left me.

He saw me crying, breaking down and he heard me begging him to stay. He left anyway. He left me with an empty promise that he would make it up to me, but he would never get the chance to. I just had to avoid him until I left for Olympus after this summer. I just had to do that. I could do that.

Truth be told, I didn't want to see him again anyway. I already had the bitter memories of him leaving me in the dust, but now he'd also killed one of my test monsters, setting me back one. I hadn't realized I'd been squeezing the hilt of _Dunamas_, my sword, until my knuckles felt numb around it. I willed it to return to its resting state, a silver sterling chained necklace with a solitaire diamond, and turned on my heels.

I couldn't believe he had the nerve to be this close to camp now. He wasn't coming back, was he? Not now? I at least had until this summer before I had to see him, right? I chose to do online schooling and stay at camp, I couldn't risk seeing him before I was ready. I was supposed to have months.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I slam into someone's chest and look up. I'm looking into the familiar serpent green eyes of my favorite son of Hermes, Jason Wyatt. He places his hands on my shoulders, steadying me.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah. I'm just angry, and I need something to kill. Can you believe that Tyler was right there? That he's been here this entire time and nothing? Nothing." I snap.

His face flashes me with pity before darkening again, "I was hoping you hadn't seen him. I knew it would just make you feel worse."

"Nothing killing a monster can't solve."

He sighs, "Maliah, you can't just go around killing monsters to make yourself feel better."

"But I can do it for the gods?" I ask.

"That's different."

"If I can kill monsters for the gods, I can kill them for myself. Just watch me."

I pushed past him and walk out of the alley, leaving him behind. Jase meant well, I know he did, but there were just things that I couldn't talk to him about. I couldn't talk to him about how I felt because it wasn't fair to him. He was Tyler's best friend. I took away what time they had left before Tyler disappeared. I was the girl who ruined their last summer together, and yet he didn't blame me the way he should have.

The least I could do is pretend I wasn't as hurt so that he would know he was hurting more than me, and he had every right to be.

When Tyler left us, Jase took his place. At first, it was just him checking up on me when I wouldn't leave my cabin, or when I hadn't eaten. He would come by the cabin after Brandon went home to his family, and sleep in one of the spare beds because he knew I hated being alone. We avoided talking about Tyler, but I honestly think that losing him is what bonded us the most. After Jase found me outside of the arena, he learned what Tyler did. He punched the arena wall over and over again until the bones in his knuckles shattered.

Apollo had been there, thankfully, and he healed him up good as new. Apollo pleaded with us to not be angry, but gods it was hard. Normal, human teenagers struggled enough with anger, but we're demigods. It was just boiling inside of us, fueling us.

Looking back on it now, I can't even see myself as the weak, pathetic little girl who cried all of the time. I had changed. I knew that when I did see Tyler again one day, I would be someone he couldn't even recognize and I told myself that it made me feel better. I told myself that when he realizes I'm not the fragile girl he has to protect anymore, he won't bother me with apologies and he'll let me continue hating him.

I told myself that would make me feel better. And I knew it would.

Eventually, I had found another giant. I'm sure it was the first giant's brother, and I wasn't even in the mood to play with him. I had activated the bow Apollo had given me, _Axios_, and shot one of my magical arrows at him. I had killed him quickly, collecting my four hundred and seventeenth victory since my challenge began.

After a while of walking, I came across the tree house that I had discovered during my depressed state this summer. I used it a lot to hideout in, even still did. I climbed up and inside, dragging my palm across the etchings on the walls. I was only alone for a few minutes before my favorite daughter of Aphrodite and her boyfriend, son of Hades, found me.

Katelynn Michaels was my best friend and we had both risked our lives to save Tony Staton's. They were the other two people who comforted me the night Tyler left me. After that, we were all just kind of inseparable. Before we had found Tony, his father threatened my life and I made a promise to bring his son home to him. When I made good on my promise, Tony returning to the Underworld for a few days after the dance, Hades had sent me a gift and the closest thing to a thank you card I'd ever received.

_You didn't fail me, Maliah. _

_Pleasantly surprised, _

_Hades. _

He had sent me a whistle, one I wore around my neck at all times. When I blew into it, humans, gods and demigods heard nothing. But a creature, my own hell hound, would come in moments. Elysium, named after one of the places in the Underworld, had come in handy many times. Tony even told me I was his dad's favorite niece. Hades had been present, and he didn't confirm that but he did say he didn't care much for Poseidon or his, er, spawns. I took what I could get.

"I'm going to cut to the chase," Katelynn says in true fashion, "what was it like seeing him again?"

"Jase told you?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, looking away.

"I didn't feel anything. We didn't talk. That was the end. It's over."

She rolls her eyes, "You don't mean that. You, like, loved him."

"No," I say, shaking my head and choosing my words carefully, "I didn't. I could have. But he didn't give me the chance, so I didn't. I don't. And I never will, so it's over."

Tony stared at me with sadness in his eyes. He and Jake were the only ones who would even still mention Tyler. Brandon was gone but I'm sure he wasn't even as angry with Tyler. Brandon understood because he did the same thing for me, dropping everything to rescue me, but I just couldn't see it from that perspective. I met Tony's eyes and I felt bad for being as blunt as I was, but I couldn't help it.

Tyler Wright had made his bed and he could lay in it, too.


	2. II

The Past and the Present

**MALIAH**

_The day after Tyler left me, I was crying in my cabin. I hadn't gone to sleep yet and my makeup was smeared. Everyone had decided it was in my best interest to be alone and come up with a way to cope with my loss. Everyone except for Apollo. My own brother was avoiding the cabin, but here was the god of sun just watching me while I cried. _

_He didn't say much for a while. For about fifteen or twenty minutes, he left me to wallow in my own self pity, but when the time was up, he cleared his throat. _

_"You need to start on your training as soon as possible." _

_It wasn't smart of me, I know it wasn't, but I was so consumed in grief and anger that I wasn't thinking straight. I slapped him. I slapped the god of the sun. I stopped crying immediately and stared at him. I couldn't even believe I'd done it, but I did. He didn't meet my eyes for a minute, he only held his cheek._

_Apollo was one of the least serious gods there was, only rivaled with Hermes. He appeared to be an eighteen year old with blond hair and blue eyes, his skin tanned. But when he looked at me next, he looked like a god. He held their fury, but unlike me, he didn't lash out. He sighed and stared me deep in my eyes, snatching my hand in his. _

_"Maliah, you don't understand anything about yourself. You are dangerous and you are irresponsibly reckless. You know that right? You do things without thinking about them, acting on your whims and emotions? You've noticed that, too, haven't you?" _

_He was angry with me. I nodded and he continued, "Well having one fatal flaw is bad enough, especially that one. You'll be lucky it doesn't get you killed, but when you add the wrath to that, the wrath that you're letting consume you, you need to get a hold of yourself. There was another demigod like you, many years ago. He let his wrath consume him and he betrayed everyone. He betrayed his father, his friends, all of the gods and demigods and it got him killed. All because he was mad at daddy. Don't be stupid, Maliah. Not like him. Be better." _

_I was crying again, but I nodded. He was right. I couldn't let this take me over. I had so much I had to be focused on and I needed to remain level headed. _

_"I'm sorry," I whisper. _

_His eyes soften and he touches my cheek, "You have so much to prepare for, and even more things rest on your shoulders. I'll be the first, and maybe the only, god to tell you that I know it isn't fair. You're thirteen years old and you're terrified that you won't succeed but you need to listen to me because I am rooting for you. I want you to win." _

_"I know." I tell him, and I did know. _

_All he had tried to do up until that point was help me. I was the one consumed in my own anger to realize that. I was behaving like a child. Sure, I was given a task no one should be given. The boy I liked left me without saying goodbye. But I still had to focus. I couldn't let this stuff get to me, not right now. _

_"Are you ready to move on or do we need to wait another day?" he asks me, releasing my hand and pushing my hair back. _

_He did care for me, that much I knew. If he hadn't, I'd be dead right now. I think I'd be the only demigod to live after hitting him, and I'm sure I only got the one chance. _

_"No. We shouldn't waste any time." I tell him. _

_"Okay." _

_"What do I need to do?" _

_He explained everything to me, how I needed more battle experience. He said it was one thing to spar with Prometheus and my friends, but I needed the real deal. I needed to get used to fighting things and people that wanted me dead. It was the only way to prepare myself for saving the Lost Generation and for winning this war. _

_"I need you to kill one thousand monsters by the end of next summer. You have a little over a year and a month." _

_"Just one thousand?" I ask, earning a chuckle. _

_"I know your flaw isn't pride, but even the most prideful demigods never questioned that." _

_"I guess I'm just curious." _

_"Yes, Maliah, just one thousand. But don't expect it to be easy." _

_After that, he stared at me for a minute. He went to say something, maybe give me a pep talk, but he stopped and smiled. Instead he said, "You start tomorrow." _

After that conversation, he'd left me alone. Every now and then, he'd pop in and check on me, but he told me that my dad didn't want him lingering. At first I didn't understand, but then I realized he was still a god who had a habit of falling for mortal women and the likes. He distanced himself, and I guess I understood and couldn't blame him. He did have a certain allure, but I'd always just chocked it up to the fact that he was a god.

He was a nice distraction from Tyler, though. That soon stopped when he only visited me for training and to get updates on how far I was coming along. I started to get lonely again, but my friends stepped in and saved me from all of my own thoughts. I owed my life to them. Getting closer to Jase, Katelynn and Tony was the only good thing to come out of Tyler leaving. I look up at the two demigods in front of me.

"Thank you for keeping me together," I told them.

"Any time." Tony smiled.

I watched Katelynn leaning on his shoulder, content with him. I used to be jealous of that. After Tyler left, Katelynn and Tony made it official and would do cute things like that and when I saw it, I would remember Tyler. But then I had to push aside my own anger and realize how happy I was for them, and just like that I was no longer jealous.

I also thought that my minor crush on Apollo was because of Tyler leaving me, as well. So I just stopped feeling a lot of things. If it hurt me or confused me, I ignored it until it was no longer a problem anymore and that was working so well until Tyler showed up again.

"We should head back to camp soon." Katelynn says.

I knew she was right. I was starving and we'd already been gone all morning, not to mention I had homework to finish for my online English course. I sighed. At least I was busy, though. I had a lot of distractions now.

"Yeah, I'm starving. I also have to contact Apollo, letting him know that my aim with the bow is getting much better."

"That's the only reason?" Katelynn asks, but I rolled my eyes.

She could pick up on crushes and romantic feelings like it was nothing. But I was never going to act on my feelings with Apollo, I was still only thirteen and he was a god. Not to mention, that even if I lived to be old enough, I don't think I could let myself purposely fall for another guy that was going to just leave me anyway. I did it once and I couldn't survive doing it again.

"I'm serious. You know he told me to keep him updated every time I use it so that we can make sure his blessing doesn't waver."

"I know," she smiles, "I'm only teasing you."

We all stand up and climb out of the tree house, one by one. When we reach the ground, Tony is the first to speak.

"I still don't know why Tyler was so close to here," he says.

"Yeah. It makes you wonder if he's close to finding her. If he's close to coming home." Katelynn says.

I knew that no one was as upset with Tyler as Jase and me. It didn't make me feel any better when they talked about him like he was still a friend. Or maybe, to them, he was. But I don't think I could be around him again and I wouldn't put my friends in a situation to choose between us, so I don't know where that left me. I think that's part of the reason why I decided to take Apollo up on his offer to train on Olympus. I couldn't stick around and watch all of them fall right back into pattern and act like he didn't screw me over. I couldn't watch them go back to normal, forgetting it ever happened.

"Can we just get back to camp?" I ask, huffing.

"Yeah." Katelynn says.

I know she felt bad. I just couldn't tell her that it didn't bother me, because it did. I also couldn't stand being upset with her either, so I pushed it down and smiled at her, "Let's just go so we can eat. I'm starving."

And just like that, we were back to normal. We walked back to camp, all of us laughing and joking. Once we reached the woods and passed through them, I saw the border. When we passed through the border, my eyes landed on a familiar honey colored winged horse with a black mane.

"River!" I screamed, running to the Pegasus.

He perked, turning his head toward me and neighing. He met me and nuzzled his head into my shoulder as I pet him and leaned in. I missed River so much. I didn't think I'd get to see him again this soon.

"He says he missed you," a familiar voice calls out to me.

I look up and my eyes land on a pair of ocean blue ones that I knew all too well. I couldn't pretend I wasn't me and run away this time. He looked different. He was taller and his hair was shorter, not as messy. He was tanner and he looked older. I'm about to speak until a new blonde haired girl, someone I'd never seen before, comes up behind him and places her hand on his shoulder, looking at me.

"Who's she, Ty?" she asks.

I turn on my heels and walk back to my cabin deciding I actually wasn't that hungry after all.


	3. III

I'm a Coward

**MALIAH**

I could hear my friends, and Tyler, calling out for me while I stormed to my cabin. I also heard the perky blonde ask, once again, who I was. Good to know Tyler never talked about me, either. Must be nice to be able to run away and forget. So much for making it up to me when he got back. I can't believe I was ever so stupid. I went into my cabin, shutting the door behind me. Okay, so I actually slammed it if we're being honest. Maybe they'd all leave me alone for a little while.

There's a flash of blinding light in my bathroom and a moment later, Apollo walks out. His smile is bright as he looks at me, then it falters when he sees my expression.

"Not such a happy reunion, huh?" he asks.

I roll my eyes, wanting to tell him to shove it, but then I remind myself that we'd been working really hard on my anger management. I couldn't let all of Apollo's hard work go to waste.

"Nope. Stupid boy returns in tow with a stupid girl. Not happy at all." I huff.

Apollo chuckles, "Hey now, that stupid girl is my daughter."

I stare at him in disbelief, "_That?_"

He laughs again, as if I amuse him. He takes a seat next to me on the bed and pulls me into a sidearm hug. He doesn't say anything at first until he decides on, "My young demigod, you're still just a little girl. You're beautiful and powerful, and you will have many boys and men, mortal, demigod and gods alike, chasing after you in your life time."

There's a clap of angry thunder in the sky, reminding us both that my father monitored our visits, but he continued, "You can't let this hurt you the way it does. You either need to forgive him and move on, or you need to forgive yourself for how you feel and move on. You have to make a choice."

He was right. I'd felt so guilty about hating Tyler that I think part of me was hoping we'd fix everything when he came back, but now I didn't even want that. I think that made me feel worse. I didn't know where I stood with him, but I know nothing would ever be the same. We were both changed people and I had too many scars from our past. We'd never go back to being who we used to be with each other. Was this moving on? How do you move on when you barely began?

Not to mention, I was developing this _not-so-great-of-an-idea_ crush on a god. How was I stupid enough to set myself up for this, again? I know what gods do. They never stay around, and here I was liking one? I had kept telling myself it's because I'm still a kid and I'm going to crush on people, including ancient eighteen year old gods, but I don't even think I believed that. Eventually, Apollo would leave me, too. I sighed.

"Apollo," I say.

"Yeah, demigod?" he asks.

He hadn't been looking at me anymore.

"You're going to leave me, too, aren't you? When the war is over and I no longer need training, I'm not going to see you again?"

He looks back at me now as he ponders his response. I feel my cheeks heating up. It wasn't rare for some demigods to crush on some of the gods, but this was pretty embarrassing. Not to mention I was basically spelling it out for him in the midst of all of my abandonment issues. No wonder my dad was so concerned. I can't be left alone for one minute without trying to find someone to make me feel better about myself. It was pretty pathetic.

He smiles at me.

"Maliah, I'll be here for you whenever you need me. I've come to consider you a friend."

I smile at him. I had always thought that he viewed me as some responsibility, but now I felt so much better. I wasn't just a means to and end, I was his friend.

"So I just have to ask, and you'll be here?" I ask him.

"Yes. But consider this, Maliah," he says, now standing and stooping down in front of me, "these feelings, are they even real? Don't you think you just want a distraction to move on? You should focus more on your task at hand, okay? Years into the future, when you're a lot older, if you still feel this way we may revisit it. For now, push it out of your mind."

I nod. He was right. I had to focus on finding my siblings and winning the war.

"Okay."

"Good. I'll be remaining here until tomorrow so I can spend a little time with my children after I claim Alison."

"So that's her name."

He laughs at me again.

Apollo had left me alone and I was in my cabin, laying down and trying to sleep. It had been hours since our last conversation and I didn't leave my cabin to go to dinner, either. I'm sure he'd claimed his daughter and everyone was celebrating. I was happy for all of them. It meant they'd get to spend some time with their dad, the ones who were here anyway. Most of the demigods had returned back to the fake world for school. Normally there were about fifty or more campers here, today there were only fifteen or twenty.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by two angry voices, arguing in hushed whispers as they got closer to my cabin.

"I don't know why you came back," Jase snaps, his voice getting closer.

"I had to bring Ali to camp," another voice answers. It's Tyler.

"No one asked you to do that, either," Jase responds.

Yikes. They were going to get into a full on fight if it didn't stop soon. They kept throwing snide remarks and Jase threw insults which Tyler in turn took offense and said rude things back. I groaned because now they were right outside of my door, having their argument loud enough for me to hear clearly. And they weren't leaving. So I had to suffer through it.

"Just leave camp and find your sister. Be good for something," Jase snaps.

"Can you just shut up? Be good for something? What exactly did you do during our quest this past summer other than waste space?" Tyler snapped.

Oh. Double yikes.

Jase laughed, almost coldly, "Doesn't matter. Just ask Maliah everything I did for her after. You know, after you abandoned her."

Tyler shut up. I could tell they were both angry with each other, and Jase honestly had every right to be upset. But he was taking it too far. Or maybe I just couldn't understand how much more hurt he was than I am. He had known Tyler for so long, and I'd only just met him when he left me. I could play myself and say I was pretending I wasn't as hurt as Jase, but I knew that I truly wasn't.

"I just want to see her, then I'll leave." Tyler said, softer this time.

"She doesn't want to see you, dude. I would know," Jase huffs.

Jase was right. I really didn't want to see Tyler. It would make everything more complicated and it would honestly just make me mad. I was so tired of being mad.

"Look, I get it. You two are like best friends now and it's all my fault. You both hate me. I get it. I still want to see her to tell her I'm sorry."

"We all know just how sorry you are, Ty. Good luck."

I heard Jase leaving, but oh I wish he would have stayed. I couldn't face Tyler by myself and I honestly wasn't even ready. He knocked on the door but I ignored it. He knocked again.

"Maliah?" he called, "It's me. I'm leaving in a few minutes, I just wanted to talk to you. I wanted to say bye."

Oh. This time he wanted to give me a goodbye before he disappeared? I scoff. I knew eventually he would remember the word to get in, and I'd be cornered. I decided that I wasn't brave and I couldn't face him. I grabbed my whistle and blew into it. A mere second later, a rottweiler type creature was panting happily in front of me. Elysium, or as I called her, Lysi. She wagged her tail and looked up to me, waiting. I went to my night stand, hearing Tyler knock again, and grabbed a treat for the hound.

She accepted it appreciatively and then I got on her back, hearing Tyler speak the magic word.

"Let's go, Lysi." I whisper.

Before Tyler gets into my cabin, I'm in the shadows. I didn't care where I went as long as it was far away from him. After spending what felt like an eternity in the numbing darkness, Lysi and I emerged in L.A. I sighed. I guess it was time that I went and saw my family. I hadn't been home in months and I wasn't really giving them any opportunities to check on me, either. I got off of Elysium and she walked beside me in the familiar gated neighborhood.

To anyone else, she was just a one year old rottweiler. I think that's why Hades gave me her. Tony and I had talked once before he visited his dad and I had mentioned how much I wanted a puppy. Hades gave me one. It was honestly one of the kindest gestures from any of the gods I'd received, but I wouldn't dote on it. I knew the more I pressed him about it, the more he'd regret it.

I pet the sweet pup as we walked until my eyes land on a familiar three story brick home, sitting on its forty acres of land. The black BMW was in the driveway, but the new Tesla was gone. I turn to Lysi, "You can go."

She skips happily into a shadow, then she's gone.

I stand still for a minute, debating on calling Lysi back and leaving, but I know I have to go. I walk up the brick pathway and the two steps leading to the door. I take a minute and gather my nerves before I ring the doorbell. I wait, no one responding. I ring the doorbell again. I'm just about to turn and leave when the door starts to open.

"It's been way too long, little sis."


	4. IV

Camp is Overrated

**TYLER **

When I open the cabin door, she's not in here. I look around in disbelief. I had seen her coming here, she never left. I didn't understand.

"She probably used Elysium to leave," a voice startles me.

I turn around and find the deep, dark brown eyes of a familiar son of Hades. Looking at him now, it was hard to picture him as the starved, weakened boy we rescued all those months ago. It was hard to imagine how anyone could have taken him and beaten him down to that, as well. His dark, ink black hair was a little messier than I last saw him and he looked healthier and maybe a little taller. Other than that, he hadn't changed at all.

We hadn't gotten to talk much earlier. After Maliah left and Katelynn's eyes landed on Alison, he was dragged into the dining pavilion where we were all forced to sit at our separate tables for lunch. Alison had been dragged to sit with the Hermes table, which consisted of the twins and Lacey, their little sister. All three of them had seemingly ignored her until Apollo came and claimed her. She then went and sat with him and two of her blonde haired siblings that were at camp.

I felt better knowing there were people who weren't ignoring her, but that didn't make me feel less lonely. When I had finished eating, I went and talked to Chiron some more about my sister. We'd caught up and I visited Jake to talk to him. I had been hoping Jase would be happy to see me, as well, but I was wrong. After hours of talking to Jake and being ignored by Jase, I left. I'd come straight here despite Jase's attempts at stopping me. I still couldn't understand why he was being such a jerk to me.

I push it to the side and respond to Tony, "Who's Elysium."

"Oh, I forget how long you've been gone sometimes. Elysium is Maliah's hell hound. She was a gift from my dad, a thank you for keeping her promise and saving my life."

I sighed, "Is there anyone here who doesn't hate me?"

Tony smiled. He didn't do that too often.

"I don't hate you. Neither does Jake. Brandon understands your situation, but he won't be back to camp until break. Katelynn was sort of on decent terms with it, with you, but then you showed up here with that girl and she got kind of upset on behalf of Maliah."

"So, I have like two friends here?"

"Pretty much."

I sigh, "I should leave soon."

I felt wrong not only being in Maliah's cabin, but being in her camp as well. Besides, I shouldn't stop looking for my sister until I find her. I had to leave and get back out there soon. It was already dark, but I'd lost so much time today I decided I would spend tonight looking, as well.

Before I left camp last year, Apollo and I had talked about my quest to save my sister. He'd given me two gifts, one from him and one from my dad. The one from Apollo had been a magical compass, pointing me in the direction of Sophia, but she was always on the move. It was exhausting. I'm sure it was her mortal mother, though, just trying to keep her on the run and avoiding monsters.

The second gift was one for her, when I found her. I just knew that it was a necklace with a brass trident. I couldn't wait to find her and give it to her, but that would never happen unless I got moving.

I look around at the empty cabin once again before I follow Tony out.

"You should find her, quickly," he says, "things will be a lot easier when you're back for good. You could focus on making amends and maybe you could convince Maliah to stay."

I stop when I hear his words, "What do you mean? Where would she go?"

"She has this task right now. She has to kill one thousand monsters by the end of camp next summer, then if she completes it she can choose to go to Olympus and train until the following summer. We wouldn't see her again for like a year. We don't want her to go, and she says it's still only an option, but we know she's made up her mind," he said, almost sadly.

The thing about Tony is that he's not the most cuddly person. He looked like your average emo kid. He was taller now, just shy of six foot, and his build was lean. His skin was a shade of ivory and his dark eyes were harshly framed against it. I had learned that his birthday was after the break around the time we'd saved him. That meant he was still fourteen and still had so much learning and growing to do, but I didn't see him changing much.

He wasn't trusting, at all. It took a lot for him to open up. I'm sure that if we hadn't just saved his life when we met him, we wouldn't even be close to being friends. He shuts people out all the time, but hearing him talk so sadly about Maliah got to me. They all cared about her so much.

"I'll do my best, but something tells me I should convince her to go. That's the only way she'd stay."

I had left camp not too long after my conversation with Tony. River had been in a mood ever since Maliah stormed off, so he wasn't in the mood to talk to me much. He blamed Alison, and me, for her running away. I didn't want to argue with him, plus he might have had a point, so we rode in the air in silence. I was using my compass that Apollo had given me, and now it was leading us out of New York and toward Montana.

I was hoping this was it, that tonight I'd find her. Tomorrow was the last day of November and I wouldn't be able to stand it if I couldn't get her to camp, or at least be with her, when she was claimed. I had dreamed of her a few times since camp, like I'd dreamed of Percy Jackson, and it made me so anxious to find her. I had used some of the papers Apollo had given me as well. One had a number listed for her that I'd called multiple times, only to never have any one answer.

It was nerve racking.

"River," I say, "I know you're in one of your moods, and it's understandable, but I need you to talk to me. Are you tired yet?"

He huffs, _"Yeah, been tired since we left."_

I roll my eyes, "How?"

_"Just not feeling up for rescuing anyone else today after what happened_ _with miss sunshine."_

"River, this is my sister, though."

_"I know that. I'm still tired."_

"We'll pull over and rest until early tomorrow morning. Does that sound okay?"

_"Yeah."_

He stops talking to me again, but I'm not shocked. River has always been stubborn and sensitive and I can't stress how much he loved Maliah. I ruined his reunion with her and Alison hadn't helped, either. He was upset with me and I just had to wait it out.

We touch down deep into some woods, landing in a small clearing. I dismount River and he uses this time to stretch out his back and wings, trotting around as well. I sit my backpack and the bag that was around River's neck onto the ground. I stretch as well and then close my eyes, focusing around me. There was a stream about a mile from where we were, so I would be able to defend myself with the upper hand if we got attacked.

I open up my backpack and pull out the tent so I can assemble it. After a few tries and mess ups, I have the tent put together with a sleeping bag rolled out. It wasn't supposed to rain, I didn't think, so River would be fine outside for the night.

I drag my things into the tent and go over the files that Apollo had left me. The files seemed to be research done on her and other information I may have needed. It had things like the number I'd used to call her, her mortal mother's name, where she went to school before being home schooled, and her birth date. She would be claimed on her thirteenth birthday, which wasn't anything I didn't already know. It also had a picture of her. In the picture, you could tell she didn't know she was being photographed. She was focused on something else, her black hair blowing away.

I had two days to find her and part of me didn't think I could meet that deadline.

The next morning, I get up and River is in a much better mood.

_"I can't wait to find Sophia, I feel like today's the day,"_ River says.

"It better be," I respond, "her birthday and claiming are tomorrow."

I didn't want to think about what could happen to her if we didn't find her and she knew even more about herself. The monsters would never stop coming for her.

I pack up our makeshift camp and mount River once I'm done. He stretches quickly, then races to the sky. We ride in silence, both just in anticipation to find Sophia. I allow my mind to wonder, thinking back to what Tony had told me. Maliah wouldn't really leave and go to train on Olympus, would she? She would at least talk to me before, right?

As much as I wanted to believe that she'd give me the opportunity to explain myself, she'd already told me everything I needed to know when she ran away from me twice yesterday. I hated to admit it, but she hated my guts and I couldn't even blame her for it.


	5. V

Much Needed Family Reunion

**MALIAH**

He's a little taller now, his brown hair freshly cut. He smiles at me and it's the smile that tells me he's right. It's been too long. His hazel eyes are bright with this emotion of his and I find myself staring at them while I wrap my arms around him. Perry. I missed him so much.

Perry and Harvey had returned to L.A. after summer ended. They knew I was remaining at camp so they wanted to spend time with our parents, and I thought it was a great idea. Harvey was a senior this year, Perry a junior, and they were completing school at my old high school, Fair Bay High. I was still considered student there, only all of my classes were online.

The school believed that I was taking a year off to travel and focus on my mental health, but supported my want for further education. Props to them, I guess. My brothers were loving the school, though. They'd adjusted very well and even made a few friends. At least that's what I thought I heard when Perry received my IM at his first high school house party.

"I've missed you so much, Perry." I tell him, tightening my hold.

"We've missed you. We're coming back for break in a few weeks. Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you, why didn't you wait?" he asks.

I thought about lying, but I hated lying. Instead, I say, "I ran. Tyler came back and I couldn't face him."

"Did he find his sister?" he asks me, still holding onto me.

"No. He made a detour to bring another demigod to us. I'm assuming he'll continue his search for her soon, though." I say, sighing.

I pull out of the embrace and he side steps, gesturing for me to come into the home. I smile at him and walk in, hearing him shut the door behind me. I hadn't been home since I left months ago. Six months had passed so quickly. I touch the leather sectional I'd lounged on so many times. I look around the living area, seeing that nothing's changed.

He follows me up the stairs and stays behind me while I walk to my room. I run my hand along the door and open it, walking in. My room had remained the same, as well. I still had a light, steel grey paint on my walls, and a large king sized bed with a black comforter. I walk over to my bed, Perry following me, and sit down.

"Why don't you stay tonight? Mom, dad and Harvey will be home soon. It's pizza night, I know you still love pizza. We've all missed you," he says.

I nod, the offer actually sounding amazing, "Yeah. I think I will. I deserve a break, right?"

He holds me and I think about everything I've endured in the last half year and I allow myself to cry again. I can't even understand why, but I just know that I'm emotionally exhausted. Having my older brother hold me makes me feel better, it brings me a sense of assurance that I hadn't had in a while.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say, sniffling and wiping my face, "I do. Thank you."

"You've changed a lot, Maliah, but it's for the best. We don't grow by staying stagnant. We keep moving, learning, changing, growing. You're on the right path." he says.

I nod. I know he's right. Perry had done nothing but protect me since I met him. That's all any of my brothers had done since I met them. I didn't know how I'd gotten so lucky, honestly. I didn't deserve them. I was just going to lead them into this war where they could all die, but they were never going to stop protecting me.

I hear the door downstairs open and shut.

"Perry, we're back! We got pizza!" Harvey calls out through the house.

I sit up straighter and smile at my brother. We'd never had a family dinner with all of us here. In fact, I had only met them months ago so this was something I had only been able to imagine up until this point. He stands up, offering me his hand. I reach up and take it, allowing him to help me up.

We walk out of my room and downstairs together. Harvey is the first to see us, and his blue eyes widen when he runs to me, embracing me in a hug. I hug my oldest brother back, burying my face in is chest. He had to be over six feet tall now. They'd both changed in such a short time, I was almost in shock. I'd let so much time pass between us. Once we finish our embrace, I hear movement behind me.

"Baby girl," my mom's voice calls, "welcome home."

I race and hug her and my step-father, both blonde-haired and graceful individuals. They wrap their arms around me and I feel better, safer. I pull away from them.

"Is it okay if I stay tonight?" I ask.

"Yes, of course," my step-dad says.

While we eat, everyone makes small talk about how their day went and the current plans they had for the week or so. It turned out that Harvey was coming out of his shell a little, even joining the debate and basketball teams at school. Perry was also playing baseball and soccer. Listening to them talk about their friends and sports teams, it made me realized how much I missed actually going to school. I didn't get any of the fun parts of high school, I only got the work. It wasn't fair.

I told them about what had been going on at camp and my task. I told them how I was planning on going to Olympus to train.

"You sure that's what you want?" Harvey asks.

"I think so. It just makes sense, right?" I ask.

"It sounds like you're running again, Maliah." Perry points out.

"Maybe, but is that really such a bad thing?" I ask.

"Promise me one thing," he says, "if you do decide to leave, you have to talk to Tyler before you go. You two need to have an actual conversation and get on the same page with each other. After that, it's all up to you."

I sigh. I nod my head but that doesn't mean I can do it. I could lie.

"I want you to swear it," Harvey says.

Oh, well shit. I sigh, "I will talk to Tyler before I leave or I won't go. I swear it on the River Styx."

"Good." Perry says, going back to eating his pizza.

We finish up our dinner in silence after that, then I head up to my room. I go into my bathroom and shower, relaxing for once. I spend way too long in there, just taking my time. When I finish, I go back to my room and dig through my closet. I find an old long sleeved sweatshirt, some underclothes, and shorts. I get dressed and lay in my bed, thinking about everything that had happened to me. I caught myself reminiscing a lot these days.

I wake up in the morning, before the sun rises. I go downstairs and find my mom cooking breakfast. I'm glad to see that things don't change that much. I go to the coffee pot and pour myself a glass, adding sugar and creamer. I take a seat at the island and sip my coffee while I wait.

"I didn't know you drank coffee," she says.

"Yeah, ever since I started online school and training. It's hard to keep up with all of it sometimes. I exhaust myself. The coffee helps a little." I tell her.

"Are you okay? You're resting enough, right?" she asks.

"As much as I can." I tell her, it's not a lie.

That still doesn't mean that as much as I can get is enough.

"I'm glad you're staying for breakfast, I know they feed you there and take good care of you but I'm happy you're getting a home cooked meal."

I smile, "I missed your cooking."

She doesn't respond. She just continues scrambling the eggs while the bacon sizzles. I hear my brothers coming down the stairs and I know that my step-dad is getting ready for work. He always gets ready, eats for ten minutes, then dashes out. He'll be down when the food is ready, always perfectly on time. I was sitting in the middle, my brothers taking their own spots beside me. I had never understood why we had five settings here and at the dining table, but it made sense when I met my brothers.

Soon after, my mom finished breakfast and we were all sat with our own perspective drinks after she filled all of our plates. My step-dad walks down, taking his own seat, his coffee already made. We all eat in silence. It was Sunday now and I would have to get back to doing my school work tomorrow. I sighed. I never had a break. This was nice while it was lasting, but I would have to leave soon.

"I'm glad I got to spend time with all of you. I've missed you so much." I tell them.

"We've missed you, too, Maliah," my mom says.

My step-dad finishes up quickly, kissing my mom on her head. He ruffles the boys' hair and kissing my head. He's gone after that. I finish up my own meal and help my mom wash the dishes. I couldn't stay much longer.

"I have to go now, but I'll try to be back soon," I assure her.

"Okay. I love you, sweetie," she says.

I blow on the whistle and Elysium appears. I hug my family and bound my pup. An awkward wave goodbye later, and I'm engulfed in the darkness.


	6. VI

The Quest Completed

**MALIAH **

It had been a few days since I'd gotten back to camp. I still missed my family a lot, but seeing them gave me a sense of closure that I didn't know I needed. It gave me a sense of normalcy that, even for a demigod, I'd been severely lacking. Being at home and being at camp were so different from one another. At home, I was surrounded by my loving family. Here, at camp, I was isolated when Brandon was gone.

Brandon was supposed to be back for winter break, but I still had a little while until then. It was now the sixth of December, so we were close, but not there yet. The sixth of December. My mind wonders to Tyler and his looming prophecy, the one to save his sister by December the first. He hadn't returned yet, nor had he contacted anyone.

A lot of people were scared. The new girl, Alison, she kept begging Chiron to let her leave. She wanted to go find him. I guess at some point, he'd told her about his task. They hadn't know each other long but she was ready to put herself on the line to find him. I remember when I was her. I shake the bitter thought out of my head and breathe. He'd been gone too long past the deadline, especially since he hadn't contacted anyone. I push my reddish blonde hair back and lean against my father's statue.

I had no idea what I was going to do when Tyler officially came back to camp. Would he stay here with his sister once she came, or would he leave after break and not return until summer? What did I want? Why did I even care. I had prayed to my father, even to Aphrodite, for answers but none came to me. I don't think they even knew how to respond.

I hadn't talked to Apollo since I'd returned to camp, either. I was actively avoiding all of my friends. I was pushing everyone away to attempt to deal with my thoughts and emotions, and I was getting nowhere. I didn't know how people could do this.

There's a knock on my door. I look around, my eyes catching the clock on the wall. It was just after dinner, which I'd avoided again. Why was someone at my cabin? I push myself off of the ground and walk over to the door, opening it. My eyes widen as they fall on three familiar, sweet faces. In front of me stand Jase, Katelynn, and Tony. They're all holding snacks of some sort, bags, and sodas. Jase holds a DVD in his hand.

"Hey, M," he says, "we haven't seen you in a while. We decided to come by and have a movie night."

I smile and step out of the way, all of them filing into my cabin. Jase goes to my laptop and pops in the disk. While he's doing this, Tony and Katelynn are giggling while setting up the sodas and snacks. I grab a few blankets off of the beds and make a pallet, saving a few and some pillows for us to use. Jase sets up the laptop and we all pile in, Jase and Tony on the outer edges and Katelynn and me in the middle.

We're watching the Titanic. I glance up at Jase, almost annoyed and he says, "It was all we could lift, sorry about it."

I sigh. It was still a nice gesture, I guess. I find myself buried in between my friends, for once feeling like I had that familial presence again. It was unfair of me to push them away, the way that I had.

"Thank you, all of you. I honestly don't deserve friends as good as you guys," I say.

"Oh, shut up and enjoy the movie," Katelynn laughs, nudging me.

I roll my eyes playfully, but oblige. After a while of eating snacks, drinking sodas, and watching the movie, I feel my eyes getting heavier. I was leaning on Jase's shoulder, Katelynn already snoring to my left. Tony was asleep as well, and Jase was just as tired as me. I don't know who fell asleep first, but I know my dream was awful.

_There's a blonde haired boy, chained and beaten. His ribs are visible and his face is bloody. It's my brother, Jason Grace._

_"Jason," I call out to him._

_"You have to stop them, Maliah. You have to help them. They're going to need your help," he talks in a rushed manner. I want him to slow down, I don't understand._

_"Help who?" I ask him, but he shakes his head._

_"The siblings. You have to help them. She'll kill them. Tyler and Sophia are next. You have to help them."_

_"What about you?" I ask him._

_"What about me? She didn't bring me back to life just to kill me again, don't worry about me. Just help them. Help them all. You have to stop her."_

I wake up to distant screaming. It's someone calling for help, and I'm not the only one to hear it. Jase, Katelynn, and Tony all stir next to me. They're all confused, groggy, and disoriented. So am I. It doesn't stop us, though. We all get up and walk out of my cabin, following the noise. The sun is a sliver in the sky, so it's early. We find ourselves walking to the border, and I see two figures. One is a boy and he's looming over the body of another demigod. It's Tyler, I realize.

Another figure zooms past my friends and me, running to them. It's Alison. She reaches them and pulls Tyler into a hug. My friends and I step closer and I notice the other figure is a girl, around my age, and I almost gasp. She's unconscious, pale, and she's bleeding. Her dark hair looks like a rat's nest. It hits me that this has to be his sister.

"Get Chiron, now!" I scream.

There's some shuffling behind me and I know that kids are running around, heading to get our councilor. I kneel down, doing my best to push her hair out of her face.

"What happened to her?" I hear someone ask.

"We were attacked, she got hurt really bad. We were close so we ran. She passed out about a mile back so I carried her the rest of the way," Tyler responds.

He'd been crying, I could hear it in his voice. I look up at him, allowing myself to face him, and I realize he's just as disheveled as she is. He looked awful. I look back at her, holding her hand in mine and moving her hair some more.

"It's Sophia, isn't it?" I ask him.

I look up at him, and I don't miss the shock that passes through his eyes. I stare at him, waiting for him to respond to me. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it? Maybe it was.

"Yeah," he says, after a minute, "it's my sister."

I nod. He did it, he found her. I was happy for him, even I could admit that.

"I'm glad you found her," I say.

He doesn't get the chance to respond. Chiron trots up behind us and I turn, looking to him.

"We need to get the child of Poseidon to the infirmary," he says, "hurry."

Jase and Tyler work together to lift the unconscious girl and a group of us follow behind them, walking to the infirmary. The rest of the camp head to the dining pavilion.

In the infirmary, I sit next to Jase and Katelynn. Tony stands against the wall, quietly, and Alison is standing next to Tyler. Tyler is holding his sister's hand and one of Alison's sisters is bandaging the poor girl up. We all just kind of sit in silence, I think we were all unsure that this was it. His quest was finally over, and now everyone was ready for me to get closure and forgive him.

They were all ready for us to move on. I don't know if I could do that, though. I'd kept thinking about what Apollo had told me, that I can't hold onto my wrath. I just couldn't help it, I don't think. It was so easy to tell someone to let something go or that they were overreacting, when it didn't affect you. This was my life. It was my feelings that he played with, and it was me that he betrayed.

I glance back over to the bed and I find his eyes on me.

"How have you been, Mal?" he asks me.

I scoff, "Your sister is quite literally on her death bed and you're worried about me?"

"We haven't really had the chance to talk, so yeah, I guess," he says.

Ouch. That was awkward, and very correct. I ran away from him when he tried. I even ran away from River when I saw Alison with Tyler. Wait a minute. River.

"Where's River?" I ask him, sitting up. I felt a panic.

"He ran. I told him to find his way here after we were attacked. I don't know," he says.

He's upset and I know he is. His sister was hurt and his companion was gone. I do what I was told is my biggest issue, and I react without thinking. I stand up and walk over to Tyler, pulling him into my arms and bury my face in his chest. I remember when he was only an inch taller than me, but that wasn't the case anymore. Despite the new height difference, he still buries his head into me, and he's crying. None of our friends interrupt us at all, not even Alison. They all just let it happen, and so do I.

His body shakes with sobs and I find myself crying with him. We were both so broken and vulnerable right now and I forgot what it felt like to have someone to share that with. I did miss him, even if I couldn't admit that until now. I calm myself down, letting my tears dry up, and then I pull away from the embrace.

"We'll find River," I tell him, looking into his eyes, "I promise, Tyler."

He nods, wiping at his face.

"Thank you," he says.

I nod, "You should go to your cabin and clean up, get some rest. I'll stay here with Sophia and you can come back in a few hours when you're not so exhausted."

He looks hesitant, but he nods. Even after all this time, he knows I'm still someone he can trust. He turns to leave, and to my shock Jase walks him out. After a few more minutes, everyone else slowly disperses out.

Alison approaches me, a look of curiosity on her face, "I know we haven't talked, and I know what it looks like. I just want you to know that nothing has ever happened. I do sort of like him, but he never liked me. I didn't really know why, but now I do. I know you two care about each other a lot. You don't have to pretend you don't."

I look at her, pondering her words, "We have history."

"Not all history is good, but it's not all bad, either. It'll work out exactly how it should. I'm sure of it," she goes to leave but she stops, "make sure you take your own advice. Get some food and some rest, Maliah."

I sigh as my stomach rumbles. She was right. I gave decent advice, but I had no idea how to take it. I look down at the unconscious girl on the bed while Alison's sister quietly works on her. I remember selfishly wondering if she was worth all of it, if she was worth Tyler leaving me. While looking at her, I realized she was. He did exactly what he was supposed to do, and I couldn't hate him for it forever.

Maybe a little bit longer wouldn't hurt, though.


	7. VII

The Promise of a Future

**MALIAH**

At some point, I must have fallen asleep. I wake up to Tyler gently shaking me awake. I couldn't remember if I'd had a dream or not, but if I did it wasn't a dream about Jason or Thalia Grace. I would know because I always remember those dreams, no matter what. I slowly fix my posture and look around, my eyes landing on Sophia. She looks better now, with a little color returning to her once pale skin.

I look up and my eyes meet Tyler. One glance around the room, and I know we're alone.

"Hey, Mal," he says, sitting next to me, "your time is up. Lunch is about to start, you should go get some food."

"I'm okay," I tell him.

"No you aren't. The others have told me that you've been holed up in your cabin since you came back. Not to mention, I know you were holed up in there before you left. You have to be starving. Go get some food."

I roll my eyes at him. It wasn't like I'd necessarily been starving myself. The gods had sent food to my cabin, sometimes. Aphrodite had even sent me a steak not too long ago. I think they all felt sorry for me. Some were even sending me things because of my position in the war. Ares had sent me a "War Strategy" binder to plan out my attacks. It was a nice gesture. I used it to do my school work.

I look up at Tyler, and realize he looks older now. I knew that I did, too. It was easy to forget that we were only still children. I look back at his sister, the small girl's face saddened in her broken state. That poor girl. Not to mention, where was River now? He still hadn't made it to camp and there was no telling if we'd see him again. My heart ached for him, and for Tyler and his sister.

"I'll get something to eat later, I promise," I tell him.

"Why do you insist on staying here with us?" he asks me.

I don't really have the answer to that, so I say, "I feel like it's where I'm supposed to be."

He looks at me and then nods. He sits back and taps on his knee, humming something quietly. I sit in the comfortable silence with him, for a while. It had been a long time since I'd felt this at ease being around him. I didn't think we'd ever get back to this point.

"I've missed you, Maliah," Tyler says softly, "so much."

My breath catches in my throat for a moment. I hadn't been expecting that. I looked up at him for a moment and take in the new harshness of his features. I couldn't return his words, not now.

"I think I'll go get my lunch, now." I say quietly, standing.

He stands with me, but he doesn't attempt to stop me. I walk out of the infirmary and realize how disheveled my appearance must be. I take a detour and go to my cabin, walking at a slow pace in my own dazed thoughts. Tyler has missed me. I don't know why hearing his words made me feel worse. I knew I wouldn't necessarily feel delighted, but this is a feeling I hadn't expected. I felt guilty.

Once I reach my cabin, I mutter the password and enter into the doors. I make my way to the bathroom and once I'm there, I shut and lock the door behind me. I turn on the shower, the steam quickly filling the confined room. I strip my clothes and enter the shower, taking the time to organize my thoughts. After about half an hour, maybe more, I finish up and turn the shower off, wrapping a towel around myself. With my hair still dripping, I walk out to the main area of the cabin.

"Hello, Maliah," a voice calls out, "are you done avoiding me?"

I look up and my eyes land on a familiar, blonde haired god frozen in time in his eighteenth year. It was how he always appeared to me, and to most people as well. He's reclined on my bed, despite the three other empty beds in my cabin, and he smiles at me.

"I wasn't avoiding you," I mumbled, clutching my towel tighter. I feel my cheeks heat up a little.

"You liar," he grins.

I look down, almost embarrassed. He had known how I felt about him for a while now, I was sure of it. He was a god who had mortals fall head over heels for him for as long as he's existed. Of course he knew all of the signs, but yet he never embarrassed me by calling me out on it. Yet, he does things like this.

"Please don't tease me," I ask of him, still not meeting his eyes.

It was almost cruel. He knew how I felt, yet he wouldn't even talk to me about it. He told me to push it all away from my mind, but here he is pulling these stunts. How could I forget my feelings when he did things like this?

"I do apologize," he says sincerely, "I've just missed your company is all."

I nod, but I still can't meet his eyes. Especially not when I'm so vulnerable.

"I see."

The god sits up, clutching my pillow to his chest and looking up at me, almost with puppy dog eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asks me.

"I should be asking you that. Did you not come here to talk to me more about my decision? Or about something else?" I ask him.

"I talked to Zeus. I asked him if I could explain to you the real reason I've pushed you away. And to ask of you for a blessing," he tells me.

"I'm listening," I say, clutching the towel tighter and sitting down next to him.

"You know, a long time ago I was once in love with another demigod. I was, of course, forbidden to bother her but I couldn't resist. She was seventeen when I first gave her acknowledgement of my feelings. She loved me, too," he tells me, his arm wrapping around my shoulder causing my head to land on his, "I asked her if she wanted to be with me, to one day share in my immortality, and she agreed. After a few months, there was a battle in which I was involved. She sacrificed her life to save me from a blow that would have gravely injured me, even if I didn't die. In her death, she was granted the choice to be immortal, to be a god. She agreed, and she blamed me for her death. She hates me."

I look up at him, and I realize I know who he's talking about, "Melanie. You're talking about Melanie. You loved her, you loved the goddess of hatred and death. She loved you. Why are you telling me this story?"

"I don't want to repeat my mistakes, Maliah. She blames me for her death. She has every right to. I knew I wouldn't have died, and I had time to save her. I had time to accept the blow as mine, but I couldn't react. It was like a car crash. I couldn't look away. I did love her, Maliah. I loved her in the way that I love you. I hope you understand why I must ask you of this, but will you release me of my duties of training you. Athena would love the opportunity to mentor you herself, but it's up to you."

His voice sounds far away to me. I almost couldn't register what he'd told me.

"You love me?" I ask him, pulling away and looking at him.

"I do." he nods. I look away from him, tears building in my eyes. I had the most rotten luck when it came to love, didn't I? "What is it?"

I sniffle and turn to face him, "Prove it to me."

"Excuse me?" he asks, taken back.

"You claim that you love me? Yet you're trying to abandon me. You're just like Tyler. I want you to prove it to me that you're different."

"How am I supposed to do that, Maliah?" he asks me, almost exasperated.

"Kiss me," I tell him without hesitation.

"Excuse me?" he asks, again.

The tears are getting worse and my throat burns with sadness, but I say "Kiss me and then leave me, just like he did. Do it."

He sighs and places my pillow back where he retrieved it from.

"No," he says, looking at me.

"No? What do you mean no?" I almost yell. I was so angry, now.

He places my chin in his hand and forces me to look him directly in his eyes, "Spending all of the time that I have with you has forced me to feel things that I haven't in a while. I love you, Maliah. I long to have a chance with you one day, with Zeus' approval. We aren't in the right place right now for either of us to act on our feelings, that's true. But I refuse to ruin my chance with you before I even get to do it right."

He doesn't let me react, instead, he pulls me into his arms and lays back on my bed. My face is buried in his chest and I'm crying harder. He rubs the spot in between my shoulder blades, one of the few pieces of my skin revealed by the towel. His other hand holds the back of my head, playing with my wet hair. I clutch the simple white t-shirt that he wears now, and bury my face deeper into him while I cry. I make my decision then and there that I will relieve him of his duties. I will train with Athena and I won't ask him of anything else. I'll never ask him to make such a big decision again.

"Even after that big declaration, I get nothing, do I?" he chuckles, the sound vibrating in his chest. "That's okay, though, it doesn't serve to make me love you less. Even if you can't tell me the same words because you're so upset with me. I understand, and I don't blame you for it."

I open my eyes and I'm alone, still wrapped in my towel. I realize, however, that I have my blanket draped over me. I'm even tucked in. I look at my alarm clock and realize a few hours had passed by, and it was only about an hour until dinner. I sit up, my towel finally giving away from all of my movement, and I find a letter on the nightstand by my bed. I stand and grab the letter, reading it.

_My Maliah,_

_I'm sorry to have burdened you with our conversation. I know it must weigh heavily on your heart. I do hope you'll forgive me, and I trust in you to make the right decision for both of us. I have all of the faith in the world in you._

_With all of my love,_

_Apollo_

I fold the letter, carefully, and place it in my nightstand. I walk over to my dresser, pulling out my underclothes and putting them on. I dig through the drawers and find some black leggings and throw on one of Brandon's yellow camp shirts. It's a size or two too big for me, but I don't mind. It smells like my brother and I grow sad, thinking about my family. I sigh and compose myself, going into my bathroom, finding a comb. Sleeping with my hair wet was an awful mistake, I realize as I pull through my hair with difficulty.

I pull my hair into a half ponytail, a few strands framing my face. I sigh and leave my cabin, walking out to the gardens of the children of Demeter. I sit at the edge of the garden and stare at the flowers, my thoughts diverting back to the conversation I'd had with Apollo. He had sounded so upset with his own words, but that didn't mean they hurt me any less. After all, he was the reason I couldn't tell Tyler I had missed him. Because of Apollo, I hadn't. That's it, then. I would go to Olympus tomorrow and tell them I wish to finish my training with Athena. It wasn't the worst idea, she was amazing. Still, though, my heart weighed heavily with this decision.

"I recognize this face," a voice says, as someone sits next to me, "I was the reason it was created. Who hurt you this time?"

I look up and my eyes land on Tyler. He offers me a sincere smile.

"What?" I ask.

"Who hurt you this time? You can tell me."

I look away from him, "No, it's dumb."

"Your feelings aren't dumb, Maliah," he assures me.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, I can't."

"I understand. We'll drop it then. For now. We should head to the dining pavilion, it's almost time for dinner."

He stands up and offers me his hand, and I take it. He helps me up and smiles at me again, "I'll earn your trust back one day, Maliah. I promise."


	8. VIII

She's Awake

**MALIAH**

Chiron had advised me not to visit Olympus right now. He told me that the gods were pulled away yesterday, around the time Apollo had left me, for a battle. No doubt whatever foe they faced now was the bitter work of that petty goddess I'm destined to kill. Melanie. I think back to Apollo's story, and about how he loved her. No. That's wrong. They loved each other.

Two loves she's ruined for me. As it had turned out, Melanie was the reason that Sophia needed to be claimed so soon. Poseidon had visited Tyler early this morning, checking on his daughter no doubt, and informed him that he'd caught wind of an attack Melanie had planned for her. I sigh. First Tyler, now Apollo. Who was I kidding? What on earth could I have done to make Aphrodite hate me so much?

I lay back on my bed, bringing my pillow over my face. There was no sense in moping around about it, plus she was in battle so I couldn't get answers even if I tried. I scream out into the pillow, feeling the air slash around me. I stop, almost instantly, and the harsh wind dies down. I couldn't allow myself to be that rash with my abilities. Not anymore. I could hurt someone, and I didn't want to do that. I push my pillow off of my face and it lands on the floor next to me. My hand finds the gold ring connected to my choker and my fingers play with it, instinctively. My bow, my gift. It'd been a long time since I'd gone out and completed any training, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to travel into the woods. After all, it was still pretty early and I had another two hours before lunch.

I get up and throw my hair into a ponytail before rummaging through my drawers and pulling out a black tank top and black athletic leggings. I slip on my socks and beat up black Adidas, the ones I used for training. I walk out of my cabin, shutting the door behind me.

"Hey, M!" someone calls out to me.

I turned around and my eyes land on Jase. He's doubled over and panting, sweat soaking his face.

"What is it, J?" I ask, looking pointedly.

"You have to come quick, Mal, something happened," he says, almost breathlessly, "she's awake."

I react without thinking again, and I'm pushing past Jase and heading to the infirmary before he can stop me. Even though I have a head start, and I'm not very slow at all, Jase has caught up with me in an instant. It was no doubt due to his father's blessing. The entire Hermes cabin was fast, but as of now the twins were the fastest out of them. It was no surprise that he actually beat me to the door. He waits on me, though, and we walk in together. As I enter the infirmary, all of my friends along with Allison, Tyler and Chiron are standing around Sophia. Her eyes are open, revealing her sea green eyes. She looked a lot better now, healthier. Her skin was tan now, and though she looked exhausted, she didn't look like she was on her deathbed anymore.

"Hi, Sophia," I say, "I'm Maliah. How are you feeling?"

She hesitates, but offers me a small smile, "I'm okay. I need to find Arden."

"Arden?" I ask, looking at Chiron.

"It appears, from what she says, that Arden is a cyclops."

"So, her brother?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, "my brother."

"He was fighting something that Melanie had sent after her. She knew it would draw Arden away leaving her vulnerable. I showed up just in time for the attack she really meant for her. I won, but we couldn't risk waiting for Arden when we were both so weak. We're going to train her for a few weeks, just enough so she can protect herself, then we'll go look for Arden." Tyler informs me.

"But what if he's-"

"He isn't," she says, "I would know."

"How?" I ask her.

"This," she says, showing me the bracelet on her wrist with a tiny shield, "it's basically unbreakable, unless Arden dies. If he dies, the shield will crack. It hasn't cracked. We need to find him."

"Okay. We'll get you better and trained, then you guys can go on your adventure," Chiron promises.

"Thank you," Sophia says, softly.

"Is that everything?" I ask, "I have to get back to my own training, if you don't mind."

"Not quite," he says, "I have word for you from Apollo."

I tense up, Katelynn catching my eyes. She knew better than anyone here how I felt about the god.

"Is he okay?" I ask.

"Why does my dad have a message for her?" Allison asks at the same time.

I roll my eyes. It did make me feel sort of weird about my feelings when I heard a girl my age call him her father. Gods, what was my problem?

"He is handling himself." Chiron says.

I visibly relax, and I feel my face release my tension. Tyler catches my eyes and realization floods his face. The realization that I used to care for him this way. I know without asking that I have answered his question from last night.

"What is his message?" I ask.

"He wants you to keep training and he says they'll be gone for a few weeks. He said he needed you to know that, he didn't want to worry you."

I feel myself blush and I look away, "Of course. Nothing to worry about."

Anything to force a reaction out of me, huh, Apollo? Especially now that you could get seriously hurt? Of course. He didn't even try this hard when he wanted me to release him from his duties as my teacher. Even after I asked him not to tease me, I'm being embarrassed in front of my friends.

"What's wrong, Maliah?" Tony asks, his dark eyes curious.

"Nothing. I just need to go, that's all," I say.

"Want me to join you?" Jase asks.

I nod my head, "Sure. I was just going to go out to the woods, but maybe we could go into the city or something. We could go shopping," I add.

"Are you sure you want to take him into a store?" Katelynn jokes.

"You guys can come along, too, just to keep an eye on him." I laugh.

"Sure," Tony agrees, "wanna come Jake? Tyler?"

"Sure," Jake agrees.

"No, thanks," Tyler says, "I need to be ready to help Soph train whenever she's ready to start. Thank you, though."

"She could come, too?" I ask, "All of us being together, it'll attract more than enough monsters for all of us. Plus, with all of us there she'll be okay." I say.

"Yeah," he says, "okay, sure. Do you want to, Sophia?"

"Yeah," she says, "I'd like that."

"That settles it, then, well. I can carry two people, Tony can you get the rest?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says, "no problem."

"So Jase and who else?" I ask, knowing Jase would come with me like always.

"I'll go," Jake volunteers.

"Okay," I say, blowing through my whistle.

In an instant, my sweet hell hound appears in front of me. Ely. She slobbers happily, her large tail twitching while she refrains from wagging it around violently. She's a good girl. After nuzzling her head into me, she turns to Tony and licks him, earning a small chuckle. Next to me, he was her favorite person. As it turns out, he'd hand picked her for me when Hades mentioned his idea. I had to say, he couldn't have chosen a better hell hound for me.

"I guess you got your puppy after all," Tyler laughs.

I smile, almost forgetting that I had told him about that.

"Yeah," I say, petting her as she focuses on me again, "Ely is the absolute best."

Jake sort of whimpers and backs away. He'd never actually traveled on Ely before, so I motion for him to get on first. He does, and I follow suit with Jake behind me. In an instant, I'm cold and it's dark, empty. I'm travelling in the shadows, only my companions around me letting me know I'm not alone. And, just as fast, we're in the broad daylight. Tony and the rest, even Allison, appear to my right and Jase gets off behind me, and I follow suit steadying Jake down. His legs buckle but I brace him for impact. I catch my friend, steadying him, and Ely licks him almost to tell him she's proud. He grins weakly.

"She's a lot faster than I was when I first began, huh, Jake?" Tony jokes.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbles.

"So now what?" Sophia asks.

"We wait," Tyler tells her, "it honestly won't be long now."

Ely stalks around, making herself comfortable, and plops down. Sophia sits next to her, patting her fur as she lays against her. She was still tired, I could tell. I expected she wouldn't be much in battle today, not after getting over her recent wounds. Soon she's asleep on her, shaded by the alley.

"Ely, protect her. We'll deal with the rest, okay?" I ask.

She nods, getting more comfortable in her position.

"Dad says she likes you a lot, you're a good owner." Tony says, nudging me.

I laugh, "Now that I'm his favorite niece, everything I do is fantastic, isn't it?"

"Pretty much. You did save his life after all," Katelynn grins, hugging us both.

"No, we all saved his life. Tyler included." I remind her.

"True," Tyler grins at the memory, "we gained a lot that day."

"Could have lost a lot, too," Jase sighs.

I know we're all reminiscing on Brandon, Katelynn and myself. Our injuries that day were awful, I'd almost drowned, and Katelynn had a shaft of wood lodged into her back. Brandon, however, had gotten the worst of it. He almost died protecting Tyler and me. His recovery took longer than the rest of us, even with Apollo's help. For saving him, I'd always be grateful to the god. No matter what comes out of our situation, that is.

I missed my big brother.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as a loud growl pierces through the air. I look up and my eyes land on a giant, well over twenty feet. He had a scar along his cheek and what appeared to be the remains of blood around his mouth. I didn't hesitate. Snatching my ring off of the choker, a gold bow with a silver band around my hand grip appears. I draw the string back quickly, and an arrow forms from a ball of energy, I release and it materializes into a physical form. On impact, both the giant and my arrow disappear. The monster in golden dust, and my arrow in silver glitter.

But there was more, yet. We had just under ten campers here, plus a hell hound, so I wasn't shocked. We were surrounded by giants, even a few cyclops, and one hell hound that wasn't Ely. The hound left Ely alone, but a giant took notice of her and Sophia.

"Tyler!" I call out, dropping my bow as it shattered gold. Using a bow wasn't going to work with the enemies this close. I pull out my sword, the gift from my father that would ultimately kill the goddess Melanie.

I swing it out, slashing through three of the giants in front of me, but Tyler won't reach them in time. Ely stands abruptly, Sophia waking, and she attacks the giant, chewing through him until his disintegrates. Instantly, she jumps into a shadow, reappearing behind Sophia and chewing clawing through a cyclops that was in her blind spot. Sophia shields her face, tears in her eyes when she recognizes the creature as one of her brothers. Ely jumps over her, backs her into a corner and standing guard in front of her.

That's my girl.

"She'll be fine, Mal, worry about yourself, duck!" Katelynn screams, throwing a dagger into the head of another cyclops.

"There are so many," Allison says, panting.

Despite her heritage, she'd been using a sword in battle, and she was impressive with it. She was better than any of her brothers and sisters with it, even I could admit that.

"You've got it. Just focus on what you can handle and trust that we'll take care of the rest." I tell her.

"Okay," she says.

We work like that for a what feels like a while. We all manage two to three monsters at a time, Ely protecting Sophia, and us paying attention to ourselves and calling out to others when necessary. A sinister part of me can't help but imagine that this is what it will be like when we finally go to war.

"M," Jake calls out, "there are more, can you take them out?"

"I don't know if I can control it. I don't want to risk hurting anyone." I tell them.

I couldn't lose control, not just for them but for the mortals near us as well. Unlike most of the weapons here, my lightning could harm them.

"The humans scattered and if we time it right, we can get out of here. Will you hurt yourself?" Tony asks.

"No. No I'll be okay." I tell them.

I know they're getting weak. We can't push on like this.

"Okay. Ely, grab Sophia, Allison and the twins," Tony says, "I'll get the rest. The rest of you, get as close as possible."

Ely throws Sophia onto her back and the twins run to her, jumping on there as well. She races to Allison as I raise my sword and I see her snag the girl by her shirt with her teeth, and then they're in the shadows. I call out to my father, praying that I can control this. I feel the pull in my chest. Everyone's gathered around for Tony to grab them, but Katelynn. A monster is lingering over her and she doesn't have another dagger. I try to call out to her, but Tony is there before I can say anything. All of this traveling is bound to have consequences on him later, but none of us can think about that. He lifts her, disappearing again, and then he takes the rest of the crowd.

Now I'm all alone. And they notice that. The air around me had gotten thicker, harsher. I even managed to slice through some of the monsters closest to me with just the wind alone. I feel the pull deepen until my chest aches, I feel my heart pulsing so hard it's like it'll leap out of my chest. This was it. The sky had darkened, so dark it almost looked like it might be night. Lightning lashed around the skies, some hitting the ground already.

Some charge forward, ready to kill me. I scream as I feel my chest ache the hardest I've ever felt, and I swing out my sword, lightning dancing from my hands down the shaft and finally the point of my sword. The lightning from the sky rains down at this time as well, suddenly there's not a single monster around me.

I feel myself swaying so I stab my sword down into the grass, holding onto it as I feel myself press forward. I'm on my knees instantly and it feels hard to breathe. I'm panting and I'm exhausted. Ely appears before me, a small whimper escaping her mouth as she looks at me. I see why. My clothes are in tatters, which normally doesn't happen when I channel lightning. I guess I was a little out of my own league this time. Jase jumps off of Ely, pulling off the white button down he'd been wearing over his green Camp Half-Blood shirt. The button up even had our seal on it. He kneels next to me, pulling the shirt over me and some of our friends run over.

"That was insane, M, you could have died," Jake snaps, running up to his brother and me.

I couldn't even respond.

"Are you okay?" Allison asked.

I couldn't move.

"What's wrong with her?" Sophia asks softly.

My vision was blurring.

"Maliah?" Katelynn asks.

I fall forward, and my vision gives way.

"So much for shopping," Jase mumbles, catching me.


	9. IX

Unexpected Visits

**MALIAH**

My entire body ached, my chest being the center of the pain. I really outdid myself, and it was stupid. Of course, I didn't think I would let out that much energy, but it couldn't be helped now. I roll my head over, and immediately groan when I feel the pounding sensation. It starts in my temples, but moves around all over my skull. Someone clutches my hand.

"Be still," Tony says, "your body underwent a lot of stress."

Katelynn and Tyler were both asleep on the bed next to me, and the twins were on the one by them. Sophia and Allison were sitting across from me and Elysium was at my feet.

"I-" my throat burns, "It hurts."

"I know it does," he says grimly. I can only imagine that he truly does know, that he's experienced this first hand, "but you've got to do your best to relax."

"Thank gods you're alive," Allison says, "my sister said you should be feeling better within a few days, you just have to take it easy."

I immediately try to sit up, but Tony forces me back down, almost without any effort.

"Listen to me for once, Mal, try to relax," he says, "you met your entire quota today. You couldn't imagine how many monsters there actually were out there. You're going to hurt yourself even more if you aren't careful and I won't stand for it. You're like my sister so I want you to get better as soon as possible. Don't delay it for yourself any further."

I sigh, he was right.

"I'm sorry." I tell him, tears building in my eyes.

"No," he says, softly, "it was my fault. I shouldn't have asked that of you. I wasn't thinking. It was ignorant on my part."

I squeeze his hand and look over at Katelynn and Tyler, "Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they'll be fine. Everyone was okay thanks to you," he tells me.

I finally relax into the bed, and my breathing calms, "Where's Chiron?"

"Zeus has pulled him away," Tony tells me.

"They're back?" I ask, snapping my head to him.

Ouch, that hurt.

"Yeah. For the most part, the gods are okay. Aphrodite took a bad beating, so she'll be lying low for a little while."

"But Apollo?" I ask.

Tony smiles at me sympathetically, "He's okay. You two need to talk."

"We kind of have. I mean sort of. I'm relieving him of his duties of training me."

"How is that a talk?" he asks.

"It's complicated." I assure.

Allison looks at both of us, confused, but she doesn't ask us anything. I'm grateful for that. It would only be awkward to inform her that I am in fact in a love triangle involving both her crush and her father. Oh gods, what the hell is going on with me? Even just thinking about that sentence sounds scandalous. Being a demigod was far more complicated than I could have bargained for. The monsters, the dying, and the hardships I could handle. I don't know about the rest of this stuff, though.

"Zeus visited while you were out," Tony tells me, "he was worried. He wanted to stay, but you know Hera."

I sigh, "I'm shocked she was even okay with him being here."

"He was, too."

"I miss him. I miss all of my family," I said, crying.

He sighs, and climbs into the bed with me, pulling me into a hug.

"I know," he tells me, "I know the feeling. Dad is dropping by later, though. Would seeing him cheer you up some?"

I nod, and that ends our conversation. Soon, I'm asleep again and I'm faced with my brother, Jason Grace.

_The walls around him are stained with his blood, some of it fresh. I wonder how many times this petty woman has killed my brother just to bring him back and do it again. He looks up at me, and his eyes widen in shock._

_"You look worse than I do," he says._

_I laugh, "Wow. That says a lot about my appearance then, I suppose."_

_He smiles at me, "Are you okay?"_

_"No," I tell him honestly, sitting in front of him, "I'm in so much pain, physically, emotionally. It just doesn't end."_

_"It will one day. How is that god treating you?"_

_I look away, "It's complicated."_

_"Isn't it always for us?" he asks me._

_I nod, "Are you okay?"_

_"I've been worse. Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something. There are two kids I need you to find. They're being held at another one of Melanie's camps. They're in deep danger if they don't comply with her demands, and I don't think they want to."_

_"How do I find them?" I ask._

_"You found Tony. I know you'll figure it out," he tells me._

_"Just like I'll find you, too." I promise._

_He smiles at me, "I can't wait to hug you when you do. You'll save us all."_

My eyes open and they land on a familiar god with sleeked back hair and dark eyes. Tony is asleep next to me, and it's dark out now. The god had been smoothing down both our hairs. He offers me a smile.

"Hello, my niece," he says.

"Hi, uncle," I smile.

"He really outdid himself today. He shadow traveled so much, but he did no more than you, I suppose. It was foolish of both of you." he scolds.

Elysium was still here. She nudged Hades' leg and slobbered on the floor around him. Whenever she wasn't with me, she was back with him and the other hounds. I guess staying here to care for us, she missed him.

"I won't deny that. I guess we just bit off more than we could chew today. It was dumb of us to go out with that many numbers."

"No," he denies, "it wasn't your fault. Melanie had a hand in it, as well. Luckily you're done with that part of your training for now."

"Oh," I say, "I see."

"You didn't overwork yourself too much, did you?" he asks me.

"No, I think I'm okay," I say, truthfully.

"Tony cares for you. He values your friendship deeply, you're his family. I have something to tell you. I will tell Tony, eventually, but I need someone to know. I'm sure you've heard of your friend Katelynn getting a quest in the future." he says.

"Yeah," I say, "I recall something about that."

"Tony has a sister, too. She's about two years younger than you and Sophia. Katelynn is going to be the one to go find her in about a year. Neither of them know, yet. She just knows she has a large quest ahead."

"Why are you telling me?" I ask him.

"You know Tony, he'll want to rush off and find her. I need you to keep him grounded. Plus, I'd like you accompany Ms. Michaels. I get to choose who goes to find her. I would like it to be you two and Apollo's newly claimed daughter," he tells me.

"Oh," I say, "why us?"

"Something just feels right about three strong women venturing off to bring home another," he tells me with a smile.

"So next year?" I ask.

"Yeah, about a year and a half. Around the time for camp next year."

"Why are you telling me so soon?" I ask him.

"I don't care for many things, as you may know. I have a few people that I do care for, though. My sons, their sisters, all of them. You. I just needed someone else to know about her."

"Wait," I say, cocking my head to the side, "you said sisters? Plural?"

"Oh," he says, "yeah. Plural. Melanie brought back more to life than just your brother. She returned my daughter, Bianca, to the living as well. She died when she was only thirteen, but that damned woman restored her life and even aged her in the process. My poor daughter had so much stolen from her. It just seems unfair that this would happen to her, as well. But getting her back will happen, too, just not as soon as I'd hope."

"Bianca?" I ask, "Bianca Di Angelo? Nico Di Angelo's sister?"

"Yes," he says.

I nod, "Oh."

We both stare at Tony and I realize that he'd make an excellent big brother. He was cold at times, and rough around the edges, but he truly loves those he cares for. He's a good person.

"Do you understand, now?" he asks me.

"I do. I have to keep him grounded."

He nods, "I have to leave now, do tell him I said hello."

I giggled.

"What?" he asks.

"You and Zeus both passing by and only being able to talk to the other's child. It's amusing." I say.

He rolls his eyes, "Of course it is."

I lay back down, relaxing again and Hades is gone. Tony snores softly next to me, and the rest of my friends breathe in their own paces. I cared for them all, even Tyler and Allison to an extent, and I'd do anything to protect them. Once we found Tony's sister, the list would go on just in time for us to head to war. I sigh. This was never going to end. I knew I was destined to survive the war, how else would I defeat the goddess, but no one told me anything about my friends. I knew it was naive to think that all of them would survive, but I decided then and there that it was up to me to make sure I tried my best to keep them all alive.


	10. X

A Shot in the Dark

**MALIAH**

I woke up to the harsh winds whipping around me, my screams filling the cabin. Oh no, not now. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move, or speak, but I could remember. My dreams, the young boy and girl locked away. I had seen Melanie in them, tormenting the children with idle threats. I could hear Jason Grace's voice in the back of my mind, calling out to me to save them. My eyes, they felt like they were open but I couldn't see anything. I could hear the thunder blasting through the skies and I knew it was only a matter of time before I shattered our barrier. Again. We couldn't afford to let that happen.

"Maliah!" someone screams, reaching me and grasping me in an embrace.

"I can't stop!" I scream out.

It appears that winds opposite of my own embrace me, each wind dancing in battle. Someone was countering me, controlling me. My eyes snap open and my winds die down. I look into a pair of familiar dark blue eyes. His sandy blonde hair shakes over his forehead and there are tears in his eyes.

"Mal?" he asks in a whisper.

"Brandon?" I ask, tears spilling out of my eyes.

I embrace him in a hug, crying into his shoulder. He holds me, not saying anything for the time being. I hear motion behind me, and I sniffle while I pull myself away from my brother. I wipe at my eyes and turn around, looking at a new face.

The boy that had been behind me is tall, the same height as my brother it seems. He has dark brown hair and the familiar emerald green eyes that some of the children of Hermes possess. He wears a regular blue t-shirt and beige shorts. His eyes are wide with shock and he seems to not want to step too close, as to startle me.

"Who are you?" I ask him.

"I'm John Malack, I'm a friend of your brothers and-"

"Katelynn and Tony? You saved their lives and brought them to camp. You've been missing for a long time, from what I understand."

"I was. I was on a quest that went wrong with a couple of my other comrades, a daughter of Demeter and a son of Athena. I survived, they did not." he looked away, sadly.

He appeared to feel guilt, maybe for not protecting them. Maybe it was for surviving alone.

"I'm sorry." I tell him.

"Me, too," he says, softly, "she was your age. I couldn't protect her."

I nod. I didn't know what else to say at this point. I had heard a little about John Malack. He was seventeen, and he was the same older brother that Lacey Martin loved so much. She looked up to him, and I'm sure knowing that only deepened the hurt of his failures. What could I say to someone feeling those things?

"Are you okay, Maliah?" Brandon asks me.

"I don't know. I had a dream about two kids, I have to leave. I have to find them." I say, without hesitation.

"Do you know where they are?" he asks me.

"No." I say, truthfully, "I just know that Melanie has them."

John's eyes widen and he looks at me, "I need you to come with me. I might have some entail that could help you."

It had been about two weeks since I passed out fighting in the city. It was now the beginning of winter break for most of our campers, my brother included. I had gone to Olympus already and asked Athena to be my guide for now. She once again had asked me to come to Olympus, to train in the physical sense and the mental. She didn't need to elaborate, I knew what she'd meant. She had information on Melanie and she was bribing me with it. She was doing what she knew Apollo would never, and she was backing me into a corner. She was dangling the promise of information on my siblings' location in front of me, and how could I turn that down?

Of course, though. What else would I expect from the goddess of wisdom and strategy? It was amazing to see her in action, I could admit that, but to have it applied to myself was awful. She had even agreed to let me leave to find Hades' daughter, if I still chose to join the quest. I don't know how I'd be able to turn it down, but she told me she would wait for my answer.

On top of all of this, Sophia had been training for the last few weeks and now she was prepared to go find her brother. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I had an awful feeling about their adventure.

I had followed John down the Big House and we were now seated at the old ping pong table. My brother was with us, but other than that we were alone. It was early now, a few hours until breakfast. John sat next to me and Brandon was seated on my other side. Despite having slept for well over ten hours, I still felt exhausted. I believed it had much to do with expending all of my energy.

"I think I might know about the siblings you're talking about. Have you dreamed of them?" John asks me.

"Once. They're raven haired children with dull green eyes, and they must be no older than eight years of age." I tell him.

"It appears you have dreamed of the stolen Morpheus twins. Their names are Shawn and Sarah Turner. They were taken from their mortal mother about two years ago. Morpheus came to camp, asking if Chiron could lend some campers to find them. He agreed, sending Jana, Hank and myself. Melanie killed them and I barely escaped, but I found where she's keeping them." he says.

"Where?" I ask, "And why does she want them?"

"Unlike their older siblings who are already aligned with the camp, she feels they'll be easy to subjugate. She wants to use them in the war to put most of our numbers to sleep, making the slaughter well too easy."

"What? But that's cowardly, and how can they put a whole army to sleep?" I ask, angrily.

"Cowardly, yes. But she doesn't care. She will do anything she can to win. As for the twins, they're very strong. They're even stronger together, though, and she knows that. She's been storing them away in Alaska, knowing that no one would think to venture there without reason. Except Hank had a feeling that's where we should look. He was right, like always, and this time it got him and his girlfriend killed. They were kids, so if you don't mind I would love to accompany you to Alaska." he says.

"I'll consider your offer, but you must know that all of my quests must be ran by Athena now. Ultimately, it's her choice who accompanies me." I tell him.

"Oh," he says, "I see."

"I'm sorry that I can't make my own decisions when it comes to things like this. It's disappointing for you, I know." I tell him.

"No, I understand. You have a unique position in all of this and it's for the safety of all of us and Olympus that you grow tremendously in the next few years. The gods have all of our best interests at heart, I know that. It still doesn't satiate my need for revenge, though."

"I know. I'm sorry." I pause, standing and I add, "I will make sure, John, that you have your revenge in the end. No matter what."

His emerald greens find me and for the first time, I see that he shares one of my brother's curses. They both looked so much older than they were. No doubt in my mind that it was the years of stress this life offered. There were bags under his eyes, and his eyes were dull now. His hair was almost oily, possibly from all the running he's been doing as of late. He had nowhere to go before returning to camp, it seemed. There were red veins in his eyes, as well, and I knew it was because he never slept. I think I knew it, because if I'd witnessed my friends murdered in front of me, I wouldn't have been sleeping either.

I could sense the pain in his eyes, the deep resentment for Melanie and even himself. I didn't know John before he experienced the worst thing to ever happen to him, but I knew in my heart that he would never be the same person that he was before. A person who witnessed what he did, they would never go back to normal. I pitied him, but even in doing that I felt dirty. Something told me he wouldn't want pity, or sympathy. Still, I couldn't help it.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Chiron had come and escorted us all to the dining pavilion for breakfast. By now, most of camp had heard what happened in my cabin this morning. Even the new campers who'd been slowly piling in since last night had heard the news. That included my two other brothers, Perry and Harvey. I hadn't been able to talk with them much, but they had both smiled and waved at me from the Hecate table. I had waved back as well, but I couldn't feel myself smiling. I just don't think I had the energy for it anymore.

I sat at my table with Brandon taking his seat to my right. The nymphs waltzed by, filling our plates and giggling. They were silent as they passed me, maybe afraid to disturb me. I sigh, looking at the empty goblet in front of me. I placed my hand on it, thinking about coke, and soon the dark soda filled just below the rim. I take the cup in my hand, bringing it to my lips and sipping.

"Are you ready to leave?" Brandon asked me, taking a sip from his own cup.

"No," I answer, honestly, "but that doesn't change anything. I know that John is pretty bummed because Athena won't allow anyone to accompany me. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Mal," he assures me, "he understands. He's a good guy, he won't hold it against you."

"I see," I say, remembering everything I'd ever heard about the son of Hermes, "everyone seems to agree with you on that. That's pretty much all I've ever heard about him, is that he's a good guy."

"For good reason," Brandon adds, "I promise."

"Have you talked to Ellie?" I ask him, changing the subject.

After her secret came out to most of the camp all those months ago, nothing changed. No one looked at her differently, or spoke down on her. Soon after the adjustment, everyone left to continue school, including Ellie. I knew she didn't have the same break as Brandon, but I didn't know if she was even going to come back for winter break at all. Maybe I wouldn't see her until this summer.

"Yeah," he said, softly.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him.

"I guess. It's just not the same, I guess. I love her, I do, but I can't get over her lying to me for so long. I guess I'm just bitter."

"No," I assure him, "you aren't bitter. You're upset, and I understand. But it's been months, Brandon. You had your time to be confused and bitter, but now it's time to forgive her or let her go. It's no longer healthy."

He sighs and nods, telling me that I'm right.

We get up and offer our blessings to the gods, saying prayers. I follow behind Brandon until I'm back at the table, and I take my seat again. We eat in silence, but the other tables are lively. The only empty table is Poseidon's and I know its because Tyler and Sophia have left now. They were looking for Arden, and I found myself praying they found him and returned here safely and as fast as possible.

Something told me that they didn't need to be out in the mortal world any longer than necessary, something just felt wrong. I couldn't shake that feeling, but when Chiron stood at the end of dining and signaled us all to get quiet, I was forced to forget about my uneasiness.

The centaur stood and waited patiently for everyone to stop talking. Once the room died down, he cleared his throat and began, "Many of you may have heard about Maliah's incident. She's had a dream about the Morpheus twins and is prepared to leave at dawn tomorrow to find them."

Murmurs break out among the campers, some of their eyes landing on me. Brandon wraps his arm around me and rubs my back. I caught the eyes of some of my friends, Tony, Katelynn, John, and even Alison was looking at me with concern.

"Who's going with her?" Jake asks, standing.

John looks away from me, looking down at his empty plate.

"Maliah will be travelling alone," he says as whispers break the newly establish silence, "to Alaska."

With his last words, order was broken. There were objections, yells, and even a few audible gasps. No one liked this idea at all. Most people here knew how dangerous going to Alaska was, but alone it was deadly. Even for me.

"You know what happened last time!" someone from the Athena cabin screamed out.

"They were murdered! She killed our sister, she killed Jana!" a girl from the Demeter cabin screamed out, tears falling down her face.

"You really want to send another camper to their death?" a guy screamed out from somewhere between the Ares and Apollo cabins.

"Enough!" Chiron commanded, his voice strong and proud.

Silence swept over the pavilion like the first cool breeze in spring. It was almost eerie, if I'm being honest.

"She'll die," the same girl from the Demeter cabin whispered, her tears not letting up, "She'll die and we'll lose her body, too."

A sinking feeling tugged at my heart until it was in my stomach. Sure, they were able to do the burial shrouds for Jana and Hank once the news spread, but John had no choice but to leave their bodies there.

"I'm sorry, Marisol," Chiron says softly to the girl, "I know your ache for your sister's loss is strong. I know you fear it happening again, but my hands are tied."

"Seriously? Who's bright idea was this? Who thought it would be smart to send a thirteen year old by herself to Alaska?" a girl from the Athena cabin snapped.

Oh boy, here we go again.

"Your mothers, Kari. It was your mother's idea," Chiron informed her.

The girls face flustered and she went quiet. I didn't blame her. Her mom was scary, and she just insulted her in front of everyone. Someone as smart as Kari knew it was time to shut up and listen, at least to save herself from any further embarrassment. Everyone began quieting down, save for Marisol who couldn't stop crying into her brother's arms. A few campers even sent a few sad looks my way, they had no faith that I could pull this off.

I didn't blame them though, I wasn't much of a believer myself. I excused myself from the dining pavilion and went back to my cabin. Brandon was going to be at the Big House for a few hours at least, trading information with Chiron. I was all alone for now. Suddenly I felt tired again. I went and laid down on my bed, my eyes shutting. It was only a moment later when a familiar flash of blinding light appeared from my bathroom.

I heard the door open and shut, softly. I forced my eyes to slowly open and in my blurred vision I could make out a guy's blond hair and silhouette. I recognized the presence as someone familiar, powerful, and I knew it was Apollo. I rolled over, facing away from him.

"What do you want?" I ask him.

"Now, now," I could hear the smirk in his voice. He thought this was amusing, "no need for the attitude."

"Sure there is," I sigh.

"What's wrong? I know I didn't do anything." he pauses, unsure, "I didn't do anything. Right?"

I sigh and turn to him, almost forgetting how tired I was.

"What is this? What are we? Why are you here now? Why can't you leave me alone?" I ask him all at once.

I was getting past the point where I thought this arrangement could be considered romantic. Now, I was annoyed and frustrated. I could tell it didn't bother him one bit as his smiling eyes met my glaring ones.

"This is me coming to see you, the demigod I care for. I am the ancient god Apollo, and you are still so young with so much left to bear. I'm here because I had to see you before you left, I don't know when or if I'll get to see you again, forgive me for wanting to treasure another moment of time with you. I can't leave you alone because I don't want to ever leave you, Maliah, you have to know that if you know nothing else. I love you. I'm secure enough in myself and my feelings to admit that, are you?" he asks, taking my hand in his.

I roll my eyes, "This isn't about me."

"Is it not?" he asks with that grin again.

I could sit here and say I wish he'd stop smiling at me, but I would be lying. I loved that smile. I think that's what got me, honestly. That stupid smile that always made me give in. I sigh and move closer to the wall, creating a spot for the god.

"Will you stay with me? Just for a little while longer?" I ask him.

All the amusement leaves his face, but it's still soft and kind. Only now, he looks just a little more serious. It wasn't enough to worry me, but it was enough to tell me he meant what he said. He cherished our time together, that it wasn't a joke to him. That much, I truly believed. He slid into the bed with me, pulling me into his arms and held me.

"Have you ever thought of being immortal?" he asks me, softly, once I'm almost asleep.

Part of me accuses him for doing it on purpose, "No, I've never put too much thought into it."

"Would you?" he asks.

"Put thought into it?" I retort.

He chuckles, his chest vibrating against me, "Sure. Would you put thought into it?"

"Sure," I respond, "if I live long enough."

He tenses up beneath me and I'm almost annoyed until he speaks again, "Don't talk like that, Maliah Cheyanne Blake. Don't talk like that ever again."

I had only been chastised so sternly by him once, and that was when I struck him. I didn't understand why it bothered him so much, he was the one who said I'd live, but then I remembered his visions weren't always absolute. It was only in my favor that I'd win. There was still a chance I'd die, and no matter how small it was, it was a chance still.

"Tell me you love me again," I tell him.

He tenses again, but not in anger. I sense that he's nervous, confused, "I don't understand."

"I love hearing you say it." I tell him, softly while I glance up at him.

His defined jawline is locked in place with shock, and his blonde hair is a mess in my pillow. He holds me the way he talks to me at times, strong but delicately. He looks down at me, and his eyes meet mine. I'm burning up now, my entire body hot from my blood. I was nervous. I'd never been this nervous around him before. He pulls back slightly, pushing my hair out of my face and giving me a full view of him, "I love you, Maliah Cheyanne Blake. I love you. I care for you more than I've ever cared for anyone, and I'm sure Zeus will kill me when I'm done here. I'm not afraid though," he whispers, his fingers tracing from my cheek, to my ear, to the hair he decides to tangle them in, "I'm not afraid because you're worth it. I'd die a thousand times for you."

Tears stung my eyes and I couldn't help myself, I couldn't stop. I tangle my fingers in his hair, just at the base of his neck. I could tell myself I do it out of passion, out of care, but it's really so he can't evade me. I know he's going to try.

"I love you," I tell him softly.

It's the first time I've ever said these words, not just to him but to any guy. When they left my lips, they left me with a feeling of vulnerability, but not one of uncertainty or regret. I knew I loved him. He came into my life and he fixed me, healed me. The sun god, Apollo, god of healers. He saved me. He made me stronger. He put his faith in me. He risked a lot to tell me those words the first time. He loved me. And I love him.

I don't hesitate anymore. I pull him to me, and before he can stop me I place my lips on his.

* * *

**Super long chapter with an interesting ending! Hope you enjoyed it and the quest will begin in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**

**XO**

**Gabby**


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